


parol ng pag-asa (star lantern of hope)

by retrosas



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Kozume Kenma/Tsukishima Kei, Gen, HQFiloWeek2020, M/M, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Post-Canon, dw u dont need to be fil to understand this, reconnecting, they each have two hands im gonna make them hold each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:54:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28261200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/retrosas/pseuds/retrosas
Summary: Day eight was uneventful; Kenma went back to his horrible sleeping habits for a sponsorship deal abroad, the inverted hours forcing him to stay up late. Yet Kenma insisted on "crashing at Keiji's," which he did right after breakfast. Kei, who stayed up a bit late to help his lover but got more sleep, fell asleep with him on the couch right after helping Keiji dry the dishes.They woke up a little after lunch with a blanket on them each and Keiji working, trying his best to speak softly into his microphone during a call.Keiji sees them awake and mutes himself, and tells them to sleep some more. Kenma falls right back to sleep, and Kei brings him close. His eyelids droop and he thinks how Keiji should be there with them, and maybe on a bigger bed and with more hours to spare.Or: the story of Kei and Kenma reconnecting with Keiji after years of lowkey pining told through the nine mornings of Simbang Gabi (Night Mass) and what comes after.For HQFiloWeek2020 prompt: "simbang gabi"
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji & Kozume Kenma & Tsukishima Kei, Akaashi Keiji/Kozume Kenma, Akaashi Keiji/Kozume Kenma/Tsukishima Kei, Akaashi Keiji/Tsukishima Kei, Kozume Kenma/Tsukishima Kei
Comments: 3
Kudos: 22
Collections: HQ Filo Week Fic Collection





	parol ng pag-asa (star lantern of hope)

**Author's Note:**

> i said i wasnt gonna do anything for hq filo week but i recently (formally) came out as poly to my closest irls and they were very supportive,,,and ive been watching simbang gabi too lol so here we go 
> 
> for my non-filo readers:  
> \- simbang gabi, or night mass, is a filipino tradition where people go to mass early morning before sunrise for nine days leading up to christmas eve. sometimes this mass is also held at like 8pm and instead ends on dec 23 but the more common one is the early morning one. but for the sake of this fic, i'll be mostly using "simbang gabi" because using "night mass" doesn't feel right?? but its still mentioned as such a few times  
> \- theres usually rice cakes ([ bibingka](https://www.yummy.ph/news-trends/ferinos-bibingka-a1757-20181129-lfrm) and [puto bumbong](https://mb.com.ph/2020/11/11/the-many-ways-to-enjoy-puto-bumbong/)) outside churches during simbang gabi. the rice cakes i mention here are bibingka  
> \- star lanterns, or parols, look like [this](https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/multimedia/photo/12/19/20/lanterns-still-available)  
> \- theres a belief that if you complete the nine days of simbang gabi, youcan get a wish granted 
> 
> also. tsukki is hard to write, but i love him and kenma i think therye cute. and then akaashi, yES
> 
> proofed, but might proof again when im not so busy! happy christmas ever everybody 🌟 ilyasm hehe 
> 
> _updated 12/12 11am (fic posted at 2/3am): defined bibingka in the story_
> 
> thats all, enjoy!

Kenma wasn't a religious man or a morning person by any means, Kuroo can attest to these facts with his whole heart and _hair_. Which was why it was so baffling to hear how he's been so adamant about attending mass the past few days.

The fact he's dragged Kei into it was just as surprising. The blonde boyfriends were homebodies and night people, if not asleep people. Kei only really woke up early to go train or go jogging, so it was kind of believable to hear him go out at like, five in the morning—but for mass? He wasn't religious either, but damn, Tsukishima hated people, what the heck was with that.

Simbang Gabi, or Night Mass, was, for most people, a hassle. It was at ass o' clock, it was cold, and it was always full of people somehow that it was just so _draining_ to even go there. Yet Kenma and Kei went without fail, and they were approaching the last few days _fast_. What's even more confusing was how both of them seemed to... be a mix of both excitement _and_ regret about it.

"Shouldn't you guys be happy?" Bokuto asked the couple one dinner. "No more waking up so early? You're such night owls too."

"And one of the night owls is a guy who claims he doesn't believe in God," Kuroo quipped in.

Kenma grumbled as he sipped his chamomile tea. "I've been drinking this tea to help me sleep better so I can actually get up early for once."

"Same," Kei mumbled into his tea. "We've been sleeping a lot better actually."

"Mhm. Kei doens't have to drag me to bed anymore."

"Exactly. And I started training more in the mornings too."

Bokuto and Kuroo looked at each other inquisitively. "Okay, that's...good, actually," Kuroo admitted, especially having seen first-hand how Kenma's sleeping habits were through the years. "Whatever the reason is, I'm just glad Kenma's getting sleep—well you too Tsukki, of course, but like..." Kuroo waved a hand. "Mass? _Night_ Mass? You two?"

"Aren't you guys an aesthetic?" Bokuto raised his hand.

" _Atheist_ , Koutarou." Kenma sighed, "And I am. Kei isn't."

Kei set down his mug. "I'm a deist."

"Close enough."

"Yeah, those," Kuroo pointed at them both. "Not questioning you guys' beliefs, but really, what the fuck is this? Are you guys trying to get back into religion or something? Is this a challenge by your viewers or teammates?" Kuroo paused. "I'm not judging, I swear. Just really curious because—" He looks at Kenma. " _I_ used to go to Simbang Gabi and _you_ always shat on me for it and now that I _stopped_ going, you're going?!"

Kei shot Kenma a look. Kenma sighed. Kuroo groaned; he knew that look on the younger two. He wasn't getting any answer in the foreseeable future.

Bokuto tilted his head. "Maybe there's someone cute?"

Kenma jerked.

Kuroo's eyes sharped. "Oho?"

The youngest (and tallest) looked to the gamer. Kei deadpanned. "You really need to work on lying better, Kenma-san."

Everyone watched as Kenma whined and blow bubbles into his tea.

* * *

Four-fifty in the morning.

In an urban area like theirs, lights were always switched on regardless of the hour. But during this time of the year—Christmas—and this time of the day, there's color added to the normal yellow-tinged lights. There's the red and green from the star lanterns hanging around the pathway leading to the churches in the more residential parts of the city, along with the blues, whites, pinks, and purples of Christmas decorations strewn about.

Some of the houses boasted of trees and gates wrapped in twinkling LED lights that stayed on throughout the night, while some of the town halls and more expensive-looking houses had animated lights of a Santa Claus on his sleigh, or of big LED banners greeting everyone a "Merry Christmas," "Happy Holidays," and the like.

And while there was an array of colors lighting up their way to the church, Kei and Kenma's attention was always enraptured by the golden glow of the establishment. Their town's church had an arch at its entryway laced with a bright yellow string of LED lights that were softer than the harsh yellow of their street's street lamps. At the top of the arch was a large, intricate star lantern that alternated between shining gold and white at what Kenma counted as a seven-second interval.

During their first few days of coming here, Kenma practically hissed at the brightness of all the lights while Kei groaned. It was early and it was way too bright—they had very reasonable reactions!

Then they enter the church and it's even brighter, god fucking damn it—but, well, they were here on a mission. A mission Kei refused to lose like a volleyball game that had everything riding on it, and a mission that Kenma didn't mind grinding levels for (or in this case, a mission Kenma didn't mind getting used to the harshness of the light at such an hour).

The church was slowly filling up, but they still had enough seats they could choose from that they could sit beside each other. Kei held Kenma's hand tightly in his own, squeezing them at random points to help warm up the shorter's hands. They walked down the side-aisle of the church, looking for free spaces that would put them farthest away from the majority of the people who seemed to know each other already.

Kei spots a side of the church with not so many people situated in the open area with a TV showing the altar. He pulled Kenma along and sat them down right in front of it and Kenma sighed. He snuggled deeper into his oversized—Kei's—jacket. It was dark, and while the main church's lights bled through to the open area, the majority of the light source was from the LED lights and lanterns outside.

"You good? Kei asked, not letting go of Kenma's hand.

Kenma nodded. "Yeah. Good spot here." Just the right amount of light for him, and not too many people chattering amongst themselves. He leans in closer to Kei's side and squeezes his hand. "Thanks."

Kei smiled into his jacket's collar. "Sure."

They watch as the church staff double-checked everything on the altar before the camera starts testing out different angles. Kei and Kenma watch in silence, both trying hard to stay awake. Kenma begins to nod off, burying his head into Kei's shoulder while Kei has his head bent down.

Kenma jolts awake when someone taps his shoulder, which in turn also wakes up the taller blond. Kenma blinks and looks up at the stranger," Yes?"

The stranger had dark hair and a facemask on, and he was wearing a sweater paired with some sweatpants. He also wore a bucket hat and a pair of thin-framed glasses. From what Kenma can see, he had....blue? green? eyes. _Really_ familiar eyes, actually.

Said stranger froze when their eyes met, his hand raised in the air after tapping Kenma awake. His hand twitches before the stranger puts his hand down. "Tsukishima-san? Kozume-san? Is that you?"

Kenma and Kei straighten up a bit at the mention of their names. "Who are you?" Kenma asked, moving away slightly from Kei's shoulder but keeping his hold on on him regardless. He shot Kei a questioning look, to which the younger responded with a shake of his head. Kenma turned back to the stranger. "I don't think we know you?"

"Ah." The stranger blinked. He raised a hand to lower his mask. A sharp jawline and a small smile greeted the couple. "It's me, Akaashi. Sorry about the mask, I have allergies in the morning." He gave a small wave. The blonds felt their jaws go slack for a few seconds before collecting them back up.

Akaashi continued, "I just wanted to ask if the seat beside you is free?"

Kei choked on air, which seemed to escape the editor's notice. Kenma bumped his knee to the younger's and pushed into him, making space on his other side for his fellow former second year. "Yeah, it's free. Sorry, didn't recognize you there Keiji."

"Same," Kei coughed. "It's been a while, Akaashi-san. Feel free to sit there. Or here, my other side is free too."

Kenma hit his knee again, and Kei bumped back.

"I'll be fine here, thank you." Akaashi nodded. He sat himself down at Kenma's side and shot them another small smile. "Thank you. I hope I wasn't disturbing anything?"

"Nah," Kenma said, "Thanks for waking us up. I don't think we would've woken up on our own."

Kei snorted. "That's true."

"It's always like that on the first day," Akaashi chuckled softly. "Is this your first time doing Simbang Gabi?" Both of them nodded. Akaashi put his mask back on as he continued, "From what I remember though, you two were never the most religious kinds," he commented. "What brought this on, if I may ask?"

"Nothing," Kei said a bit too quickly, squeezing Kenma's hand as if to say "let me do the talking." "Just wanted to give it a try one time. There's no rule about this being a Catholics-only event anyway."

Akaashi snorts. "That's true." Then in a whisper, he adds, "This is the only relatively-catholic thing I do anyway."

"Tradition, right?" Kenma asked. "You mentioned it before during camp."

"That's one reason, yes. But I also do it for the wishes, no matter how childish it seems."

"Wishes?"

"Mhm. They say if you complete the nine days, what you wish for will come true." Akaashi hummed. "Though there's no scientific backing to it and people say you should only come to this mass to prepare for Christmas, I still can't help but hope anyway." He chuckled nervously. "I guess we're all here for non-traditional things."

Kenma's eyes widened and he squeezes Kei's hand. Kei squeezes back.

"Well, we're planning to do the whole thing, so we can be weird here together," Kei replied, sending Akaashi what he hopes is a nice smile. Beside him, Kenma nods.

"Heh," Akaashi grinned, and though it wasn't seen through his mask, the little crinkle in his eyes gave him away. "I guess that's true."

The bell rings and they all return their attention back to the TV. Akaashi stands when the opening song starts playing, and Kei and Kenma follow suit. Throughout the mass, they wouldn't be ashamed to say they focused more on their companion.

* * *

It wasn't a secret that Kenma and Kei were together. Everyone and their mother and their mother's grandmothers probably knew this—it wasn't because they were overly public about their affections though; in fact, it was quite the opposite. It's just that they were friends with two of _the_ loudest and most gossipy people to have walked the earth in their generation that they couldn't keep it a secret anyway.

What most people didn't know however is that they were looking to expand their little life of two (point five, counting the loudmouths) to a life of three. They've been thinking about it lately as they've come to terms with their love languages and perceptions on love and agreed that the option for a polyamorous relationship was on the table and open for whenever they feel like it.

It's been a door they've left open for the last two years in their five-year relationship, and while they've both had other people they've considered bringing in, they could never agree on _who_. Kenma didn't want Kei to be with someone he didn't know, and Kei didn't want to have a relationship where he loved two people but Kenma and the other didn't love each other. The door was open, but the people coming in just wouldn't fit through the entrance the way Kenma and Kei hoped for them to.

So they left the door open and just...let it be. They stopped waiting for someone to come in and stopped urging others to even look at it. It wasn't "normal" by society's standards to even _have_ the capacity to love multiple people; Kei found it best to leave the door as it was both for his sake as a professional volleyball player and for Kenma's increasing anxiety and distress.

Then Akaashi Keiji started coming back into their lives, and they remembered why they even chose to open their door in the first place. How they admitted they had feelings for the former setter years ago at the same time having feelings for one another, spurring on the conversation two years of "I can like more than one person" and "Same."

"I heard Keiji is staying in our area for a while," Kenma brought up one time over apple pie. "He said he's gonna be going to the church in our area."

Kei took a bite from his strawberry cake. "Akaashi-san is religious?"

"Kind of. He doesn't believe in the church, but he believes in traditions or something." Kenma shrugged. "He does the Christmas Night Mass thing religiously, it seems."

The volleyball player cringed. "The early one or the night one?"

"The early one. He says it helps him exercise more." Kenma met his cringe with one of his own.

Both blonds being the opposite of early risers made a face together. Kei could feel his forehead getting wrinkles from how hard he was grimacing. "I think I know what you're thinking."

"Yeah." Kenma pouted. "I don't like it either."

But they did it anyway. They woke up early, took their bikes, and pedaled their way to the church. Having Akaashi sit beside them from the first day was just a bonus—or, well, a _motivator_ because suddenly it was a lot easier to wake up early with the idea of seeing the editor and catching up with him.

Akaashi only really ever stayed in constant contact with Bokuto and Kuroo nowadays, what with his work being one of the most stressful out of their little group. Kei and Kenma also weren't the kind of people to actively start a conversation with others without context like Bokuto and Kuroo would, so having Simbang Gabi together with Akaashi helped them start conversations without feeling pressured or anything. Having the mass so early in the morning when they're all sleepy helped some barriers loosen up as well.

Then the next day, they found out that Akaashi was staying in the building near theirs, and Kei offered to run together. "We're already up so early anyway," he shrugged, trying to play it cool and ignoring Kenma's amused stare. "Might as well. Bokuto-san said you still run anyway."

"That'd be nice," Akaashi smiled. "Kozume-san, join us too."

"Urk!" Kenma _hissed_. "Do I have to?"

Akaashi replied, "You don't, but it would be nice to bond us three again." Then jokingly, he added, "It's rare for us to spend time together without the noisy ones. I'd like to use my time with you guys wisely."

Of course, Akaashi just had to send him _that_ soft look right before sunrise, and Kenma, as everyone knew, was weak to the light. Akaashi wasn't as bright as people like Hinata Shoyou, but he was _light_ and _god_ , Kenma was _whipped_.

Kei hid a snort behind his palm but didn't make fun of his lover in any way. He gets it though, so he won't say anything. Instead, he helps Kenma look for ways to sleep earlier and wake up earlier without them getting all "fluffed up" like what Kuroo says. It just so happened that chamomile tea was the answer they've been looking for, and it also just so happened that Akaashi mentioned it in passing that it helped him sleep well after deadline season. Really, just happenstance.

And it was also just chance that Akaashi walked to and from his current residence to the church and Kenma didn't feel okay letting "sleep-deprived, tired, Keiji" walking home alone, thus coercing Kei to walk him home. It's also by chance that Akaashi offered them to stay at his place and leave their workout clothes there, saying "So we could all have breakfast together." And it was, again, by chance, that Kei and Kenma were lazy, lazy people who only knew how to bake desserts and Akaashi couldn't bake desserts but could make meals—meals that Kei and Kenma start off their day with feeling all energized after their jog and warm and cozy in a rented apartment that was only to be a temporary home for the editor and meals that Akaashi encourages them to bring home some of.

It was like the years that passed never happened; everything was natural, like they simply grew taller and bigger but were still the same three that stood exasperatedly at the side of the third gym while watching the more chaotic players jump around. Their runs were silent but comforting, and the conversations they held were the right mix of snark, blunt, affectionate, and friendly that was present all those years ago.

And so they settled into a routine for day two and three post-mass—meet in the open area of the church, walk back to Akaashi's place together, go for a walk or run, and come back for breakfast. The routine was set in no time, feeling like...like it was something _natural_ , something that was supposed to happen.

Kei and Kenma never felt like something was missing in their relationship; they knew it would be nice to have another being, a specific being in their party, but they were happy with what they had. Yet now they were wanting _more_ —more of this routine, more of the mornings they used to hate, and more of Akaashi.

* * *

But Simbang Gabi was only good for nine days, and it was day four. So of course Kei, ever the realist and skeptic, was worried over how things were turning out so well. "Isn't this suspicious?" He asked once when Akaashi went to shower first after their run. It didn't feel like it's been only four days when running with the older men just felt natural to him. "It feels like things are going way to well."

Kenma breathed heavily, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "I thought worrying about the future was my job?"

"It hasn't been since you became a CEO, Kenma-san. It's my job now."

"...Either way, what are you so worried about?"

"Because it's day four," Kei said, voice taking a more serious edge as he felt himself getting riled up. "It's day four and we still haven't talked about this."

Kenma removed his shoes and socks, placing them beside Akaashi's and wearing the cat slippers the editor apparently had lying around and has been bringing on his travels, along with the frog slippers for Kei. "Do we need to though?"

"What?" Kei paused.

"Do we need to talk about it? Do we even need to?" Kenma repeated, taking Kei's shoes from him and handing him his frog slippers without prompting. "I don't think we need it, Kei."

Kei took the slippers and, with a frown, slid his feet into them. He wiggled his toes. "We probably should though."

"We'll be fine."

The younger looked at his lover in shock. "Is that really you saying that?" Because Kenma, though he didn't show it, could also be quite the worrier; Kei just did the external worrying for them both because one of them had to speak it into existence. Because Kei was always pushed to be better by Kenma, and Kenma was always supported by Kei. So to have Kenma assured of something outside of volleyball, his games, and his business was something surprising. "How can you be so sure?"

Kenma gave him a smile of certainty, fondness, and love. He held Kei's hand in his and dragged him to the kitchen. "Nine wishes if we complete the mass, right?"

"Yeah. You believe in that?"

"You could say that." Kenma pulled out the mugs he knows now are his, Akaashi's, and Kei's—mugs that Akaashi said they could use: a red mug for Kenma and a green one for Kei. He filled his mug with the green tea Akaashi seemed to like and wordlessly offered the can to Kei, who he knew was equally curious about it. "Isn't it just enough to know things?"

"Not from you," Kei snorts, taking the kettle Akaashi left steaming and pouring water into the three mugs. "Mister facts-only Kenma-san."

Kenma took a stirring spoon and passed it to Kei. "Fufu, true." He took one for himself and stirred his tea. "But something tells me it'll be okay. I don't know yet if I'm right, but—" He smiled at Kei, catlike. "My gut _is_ rarely wrong, right?"

Kei pouted and stirred his tea. He took another spoon and began mixing Akaashi's as well. "Are you gonna tell your boyfriend what your gut says?"

"Hm, not now." Kenma chuckled. "Wish for it to come true, then I'll tell you."

The taller huffed but said nothing in response. He alternated between stirred his tea and Akaashi's for a while longer, keeping his hand holding onto the gamer's before a cough startled them both.

At the doorway of the kitchen was Akaashi, hair wet and dressed in an old graphic tee and basketball shorts. He had a fond smile on his face as he ate a riceball.

Kenma, the more comfortable one with Akaashi between the two of them and the more distressed over strangers sneaking up on them, practically hissed. "How long have you been there?"

"Not long, just when Tsukishima-san started trying to pull away from your hand, Kozume-san," the editor chuckled. "Thanks for making my tea for me. I'm sorry if I intruded on your moment."

Kei snorts. "You didn't interrupt anything, Akaashi-san."

"You're free to join in if you want to too, Keiji," Kenma said nonchalantly. "It's your house after all."

To their surprise, Akaashi turned pink. "I—What—" He fumbled his riceball for a few seconds before catching it in one piece and coughing. "Kozume-san, please don't joke about such things. It's too early for that."

"I meant for making tea, Keiji," Kenma retorted, eyes looking between Akaashi's sudden pink state and Kei's widening eyes. "What were you thinking?"

"I—" Akaashi huffed. "I will have to deny the offer, as you two are already working on it quite well," he said. He made his way to the refrigerator and said, "I'll be making breakfast instead. Go shower."

"We'll do it after this sets," Kei spoke up. He shared a look with Kenma—he thinks he knows what Kenma's gut was telling the older now. He looked back at Akaashi. "Hey, Akaashi-san?"

Akaashi set down his eggs and bacon on the counter. His face was no longer pink. "Hm?"

"You can call us Kei and Kenma, you know. We've known each other for a while now and we use your stuff, I think it's fine."

The editor froze for half a second. The lovers exchanged a matching smirk.

"Kei's right, Keiji." Kenma snickered softly. "I've been telling you the same thing since high school. Are you really gonna keep up formalities almost a decade later? After we've used your shower? Right, Kei?"

"I would think the first name should've come first," Kei breathes out in amusement, sharing hidden smirks with his lover. He looks at the editor whose face was blank but had his pink ears out in the open, stark bright against his glasses and his lightly tanned skin. Kei looks back at Kenma. with a wide close-lipped, mischievous smile. "Actually, I think dinner should've come first before the showering at your place, Keiji-san."

Akaa— _Keiji_ coughed loudly, cracking the egg too hard at the edge of the bowl. The sound of something going plop resounded as he dropped the eggshells into the bowl. He coughed again. "I see that Ko—" Keiji inhaled, "I see that Kenma-san has been a...bad influence to your snark, Kei-san."

Discretely, the blonds watched Keiji pick up the eggshells from the bowl, throw them away, and wipe the other remnants of egg on the counter. Keiji got another egg and this time, he cracked it perfectly. Kei and Kenma looked at each other again and back to Keiji, ears darker than earlier. They snorted in tandem but said nothing else.

Keiji huffed at their snorts, which led to the blonds chuckling. They stayed in silence, helping Keiji silently by passing him some utensils and plates and taking his dirty ones for washing. They snickered whenever Keiji avoided their eyes, and they took great amusement and pride in seeing the normally few-expressions Akaashi Keiji's ears give him away.

Kenma gets shooed away after his third time making a mess while washing a spoon (it wasn't his fault the spoon's was facing him right when the water was strong Keiji, it's the faucet's fault!). "Go take a shower already, Kenma-san. You might get a cold."

"Hn. Okay," Kenma frowned. He looked up at Kei, who was washing the spoon he dropped without difficulty. "Let's go."

Kei raised a brow. "I'm busy."

"Shower with me."

Keiji sighed loudly and they turned to look at him. " _Do_ remember this is not my place fully. Please don't..." He grimaced, but his ears were pink again regardless. "Don't...fool around here. Not where I can't see you make a mess."

The pro-volleyball player snickered. "You sure are going about things out of order, Keiji-san," he smiled deceptively sweet, "If you wanted to join us, just tell us."

Keiji groaned loudly, and this time Kei and Kenma couldn't hold back their chuckles. The editor flipped one scrambled egg over while he lowered the heat under the sunny-side-up one. He turned off the heat under the omelet on the side. "Just _go_ already," he huffed, but Kei could see the redness of his neck.

Feeling a bit more playful, Kei sing-songed, "Red and pink are good colors on you, Keiji-san."

"Hurry up and shower, Kei-san, or I'm burning your eggs."

Kei laughed again as he let Kenma drag him away, the shorter snickering softly to himself as he did so. Their shower was quick, and when they return with Keiji's towels in their hairs, they see the table has been set with Keiji plating their respective eggs and portions of bacon. Much like Keiji must have done earlier, partially hidden by the doorway, they watched him move about the kitchen, putting their viands on their plates along with the ketchup Kei said he liked and the sliced apples by Kenma's plate. The last thing he placed was the bowls of rice—half-filled for Kenma, a full cup for Kei, and a slightly overflowing one for Keiji himself.

When he finished, Keiji took the cup of tea Kei and Kenma left for him and took a sip. They watched as he smiled into his cup, a little "heh" escaping his upturned lips.

Kei smiles at the sight, and when he looks at Kenma smiling as well, he feels something warm and giddy in his veins.

Eventually, Keiji notices them and welcomes them in, and they get on with breakfast. The dining table is round, and so they're all a relatively equal distance from each other while their long limbs lightly bump one another under the table. Breakfast is mostly quiet save for the little quips and questions they exchanged, as well as the little moments of soft laughter they each let out.

It's quiet, but it's loud in some way. It resounds in their ears, and Kenma and wiggles one foot out of a slipper to rest it on Kei's. Kei doesn't push him away, and Kenma thanks his lucky stars how blessed he was to have a lover who understood his need for touch and lack of an explanation, a lover who understood him well without much fanfare. His need for grounding.

The moment is quiet but it resounds, reverberates in the room and in his bones, and when Kei and Keiji start bantering and exchanging backhanded compliments across him, he realizes he quite likes this sudden overwhelming feeling washing over him.

And the same way Kenma is glad for Kei, Kei was glad for Kenma too. Because Kei sometimes just didn't want to talk directly; sometimes, Kei had to go about the roundabout way before he can come to terms with what he actually wants to say and express. He can blow up, he can cry, he can mourn, and he can laugh, but sometimes the simple things, the things that don't need much expression, the things that just need a few heavy words—those are what Kei has difficulty communicating across.

Thankfully, Kenma is there. And Kenma understood what he was trying to get across with the sneaky grin he sent his way as Keiji went off on a mini-lecture about the importance of wearing socks in the cold even at home.

Keiji continued his mini-lecture as he chewed his rice, and the blonds shared a look. Kei's smile grew softer, more relaxed; Kenma matched his with one of his own. Kenma understood and sent a grin back, and god, Kei was in love and... _happy_.

Going by Kenma's little toes wiggling atop his feet, so was he. Kenma interrupts Keiji's tirade with a little joke about how Kei's toes get cold in the morning, which entices a chuckle out of Keiji and—and Kei nothing wanted nothing more in the world than this moment: quiet, yet loud and not grating to his ears. Just the way he and Kenma liked it.

* * *

(The years have been great to Keiji. He's taller, more filled out, a bit more sleep-deprived sadly but he was happier. More open. Better. Kenma wondered if he and Kei made a move earlier, went to mass earlier, would they have had the pleasure of seeing a Keiji fresh from the shower frying them eggs like this? Would that Keiji of a different future have animal slippers for them to wear and mugs for them to use at the drop of a hat?

In the shower, Kenma voices it out. Kei shampoos his hair with practiced pressure, both of them inhaling the scent of Keiji's grassy shampoo and earthy-scented soaps.

"I don't know," Kei replies softly, "But that was then. No use thinking about what could have been's."

"Hm," Kenma hummed. "That's true." He moved away from Kei to wash the shampoo out of his hair. Under the shower's droplets, he spoke: "Day four, huh."

"...Yeah."

It takes Kenma a while to wash the shampoo out of his shoulder-length hair; he didn't need to see Kei to know what face he was looking now. He could see it in his mind well enough.

Kei speaks up, "I guess if we did make a move earlier, we wouldn't be counting the days like this. There wouldn't be a need to."

"Mhm," Kenma nodded. He steps away from the shower and Kei passes him the soap. Kenma stands on his tippy-toes and begins soaping the taller blond from the neck down. "Hey."

"Hm?"

"We're gonna finish the nine days, right?"

"Yeah?"

Kenma smiles, and to Kei's shock, he says, "Let's make a wish.")

* * *

Day five saw Kei introducing to Keiji his jogging route. Kenma shows him their place, gives him his credit card, and tells him to buy them groceries for lunch. Keiji jokingly asks if he can buy anything else, and Kenma replies "whatever you want."

"He's serious, by the way," Kei whispers to him.

Keiji goes grocery shopping with Kei and buys baking supplies. "I want to make you guys something," he said. "That's what I want."

He makes apple pie and strawberry shortcake. Kei uses his Polaroid camera to take photos of it and it's now stuck to their refrigerator with some cat magnets Keiji picked up from his place.

The next day, day six, Kenma holds Keiji's hand during the Our Father and slips him a copy of their house key. Keiji looked at him in shock. Kenma smiled at him with his hand in Kei's. "We're more than halfway through your stay here," he said, "Come over sometime."

"He means cook for us."

"That too."

Keiji's awed look never really went away for the rest of the mass. He buys them bibingka—fluffy rice cake made with coconut milk with salted egg and butter on top—from two different vendors outside the church. "As thanks."

Kenma has never had anything quite salty-fluffy-sweet like these, and it was weird. Kei removed his salted egg and placed it on Kenma's, and then things tasted... better. Kei thought so too. Keiji smiled at the exchange and sneaked a photo.

And then on day seven, Keiji comes in with three coffee cup-sized insulated tumblers. He raised his bag with said containers inside, showing them to the blonds as they gave peace to one another. "Peace," he smiled, eyes crinkling above his face mask. The LED lights and lanterns reflecting off his glasses and paints him in a mix of yellow and white twinkling lights. "Drink it later."

The blonds look on with shock before they look at each other with a smile. Kenma kisses Kei's cheek and steps to the side to let Kei kiss Keiji's forehead. Keiji turns a pretty pink in his ears and under his glasses' nose pads, and when Kenma tip-toes to kiss a bit of Keiji's chin,. the pink turns to red.

Keiji says nothing. He fiddled with his fingers for a while, and Kei and Kenma worried they might have gone too far. Tension suddenly filled the air as Keiji avoided their gazes.

At the end of the mass, Keiji holds them back from walking out like they usually do. They raise a brow together and Keiji raises his bag. He lowers his mask and grins, cheeks flushed yet tight with something they couldn't name. "Let's drink while we walk?"

Kei smiles and agrees, taking the green tumbler he knew was for him and the red one for Kenma. Kenma took it with a smile and opened it. Immediately, the scent of warm tea invaded his nostrils, warming him down and softening his joins that grew stiff from the cold. Beside him, Kei visibly sagged in relief.

Keiji buys them all rice cakes. "The tea complements these," he said, raising one rice cake with a chunk of butter on top. "Give it a try."

Kenma was apprehensive, as he was the one who usually never deviated from his normal food. But then Kei hums in delight and, well, he trusts Kei.

Which was a good thing he did because oh, that...that does taste nice.

They walk slower than they normally did, silent all the way. At the first corner they approached, Kei breaks the silence. "Are you mad?"

Keiji sips from his own blue and gold container. "Mad?"

"Are you...uncomfortable?" Kenma clarified. "About earlier."

The editor pauses mid-sip and step for a second or two, but resumes walking almost immediately. "No."

"What was that pause, Keiji."

"I wasn't mad, and I'm not uncomfortable," Keiji said, "I just didn't know how to react." He paused again and looked at them both. "Are you two okay?"

The lovers looked at each other. Then, they nodded. "Why wouldn't we be?" Kei asked, genuinely curious.

Keiji looks at them with an unreadable gaze, and Kei is reminded just why Akaashi Keiji was a setter to fear. He was so much like Kenma but not as ruthless and twice the overthinking, which was always a point of comparison for the two setters of the two of the best teams in Tokyo back then.

But where Kenma has Keiji beat in strategizing and ruthlessness, Keiji has him beat in his ability to think fast and look like he wasn't thinking at all. A blank face that gave _nothing_ away if he was heavily focused on something; a look that lasted only for a few seconds, but was a face that not even _Kenma_ could read back then and, from what Kei could see, still couldn't read now.

A few seconds passed quickly, and to most, it was probably an insignificant amount of time. But when you're at the end of Keiji's piercing stare and you were _aware_ of it, you know that it wasn't insignificant, not at all.

Less than five seconds passed before Keiji gives them a smile, one that wasn't so tight and one that was as warm as a day in bed with a thin blanket and the sun filtering through the windows. "Okay," Keiji said, voice lighter and eyes soft, "That's good." He takes a slow sip from his tumbler, the moisture fogging his glasses for a moment before he adds, "Let's skip out on running today, is that okay?"

"Sure," answered Kei, who controlled the running routes and times for them three. "Anything you wanna do?"

Keiji hummed. "You still have groceries left over, right?"

"Yeah."

"Great," Keiji chuckled. "I'll teach you guys how to make breakfast."

* * *

Day eight was uneventful; Kenma went back to his horrible sleeping habits for a sponsorship deal abroad, the inverted hours forcing him to stay up late. Yet Kenma insisted on "crashing at Keiji's," which he did right after breakfast. Kei, who stayed up a bit late to help his lover but got more sleep, fell asleep with him on the couch right after helping Keiji dry the dishes.

They woke up a little after lunch with a blanket on them each and Keiji working, trying his best to speak softly into his microphone during a call.

Keiji sees them awake and mutes himself, and tells them to sleep some more. Kenma falls right back to sleep, and Kei brings him close. His eyelids droop and he thinks how Keiji should be there with them, and maybe on a bigger bed and with more hours to spare.

* * *

And then it's day nine.

A week passes by fast when you're having fun—this is a universal fact. The more you want something to last, the more you're aware of the time and how little you have left of it.

It begins like the past eight days have begun: a pathway full of lanterns and other Christmas decorations, a rainbow of colors making up for the glow of the moon as it gets ready to make way for the sun in an hour or so. Kenma and Kei walk hand in hand and walk through the arch and the beautiful golden yellow lantern, making their way to the outdoor seating area to the right side of the church. They sit in front of the TV as usual like what the other regular mass-goers do as they go to their so-called claimed seats. But this time, instead of squishing themselves to one side of the pew to make space, Kei and Kenma sit a bit farther away from each other.

This is the scene Keiji stumbles upon. And while normally Keiji is the tactful, more conventionally respectful one, the morning brings out the hidden lack of regard he has for subtleties when it comes to his close friends. "Is everything okay?" He asks, not beating around the bush.

"Yeah," Kenma says, raising his joined hand with Kei. Then they pull away from each other.

Kei pats the space between them and Keiji furrows his brows, his forehead wrinkling in confusion. He shoves his hands into his jacket's pockets and buries his nose into its puffy collar. "If you say so."

Keiji walks slowly, feeling apprehensive yet fuzzy when he sits between them and sets his bag down. Something tells him he's intruding, that he's supposed to be at the side like usual, not in between. He frowns behind his mask and nibbles his lips, resisting the urge to fiddle with his fingers.

But then Kei presses into his side and leans his head atop his, and Kenma bumps his knees with his own.

It's day nine of Simbang Gabi, which means it's officially Misa de Gallo—Christmas Eve. It was most the important day, Keiji's mom used to tell him. The day he should pray the hardest because Christmas is so close now. But Keiji couldn't focus, not when suddenly both his sides are warm and there are knees bumping him and both ears receiving offhanded comments about the mass or the passages read.

Keiji moves on autopilot—saying things he knows by heart and going through the sit-stand-kneel-stand cycle without giving it much thought. He looks up and looks down because he knows he should, but his mind leaves his body and his heart follows his mind right after.

His heart falls back into its cavity between his ribs when Our Father comes on, and he feels two different hands take a hold of his, taking them out of his jacket's pocket and raising them. He looks in shock as Kei keeps his face facing forward, cheeks and nose dusted a light pink. Then he turns to the other side and sees Kenma looking at him directly, a fond and playful grin on his lips as his eyes soften.

"Should I move?" Keiji whispered, unable to look away from those catlike eyes piercing into his soul, letting them do just that and actually feeling...okay with it. Like this time, it was okay to be honest. To be caught in the act of widening his eyes and having his ears turn pink like that morning in his kitchen after the fourth mass.

Kenma squeezed his hand and pressed closer to his side, then raised Keiji's hand. He maneuvered it around himself, making Keiji have an arm loosely wrapped around the gamer. "I did the moving for you," he chuckled, drowning out the piano and guitars playing in the background. "Just focus on the mass."

"People will stare, you know." He breathed deeply through his mask. "We're regulars here at this point," his mind was moving fast again, "And people here know of you two. What would they say about this, Kenma-san?" He wasn't used to this many eyes on him anymore, not after he left playing volleyball professionally. He can feel the eyes, and what were once given factors of his life were strange and too much. In the same vein, he wasn't used to this much contact anymore; working in editing and having to jump between locations often dampens his need for and familiarity with physical touches. And it didn't help it was from _them_ —

The tallest among the three squeezed his hand. Keiji turned to Kei who squeezed his hand again. "Let them, then," he said with conviction, eyes focused and sharp like he was on the court sure of where a spike was going to pass and standing there ready to intercept or redirect it. Keiji couldn't help the awed gasp he let out at the sight—beautiful as always.

Kei pulled his hand away from Keiji's and wrapped his arm around his shoulders, never looking away. "Let them stare, Keiji-san."

"Yeah," Kenma said, eyes just as sharp yet smile still full of something Keiji was too scared to name. "Unless you're not comfortable."

"I am," Keiji replies too fast for his own taste. He feels Kei look at the side of his head as he holds Kenma's stare. "I..." He sighs shakily. "I am. Are you?"

Kenma's eyes close and he gives a full smile. "I am. Kei?"

The editor turns to his side and meets Kei's almost childish grin. "I am."

Keiji feels his mind return to his skull and his heart fight against his ribs. His heart is beating wildly, loudly, and strongly, but it—it wasn't out of anxiety. Not this time. This wasn't the same erratic heartbeat he had before a meeting where he was sure to get grilled, or before traveling to somewhere unknown.

Instead, his loud, overwhelming heartbeat at that moment was something similar to the way it beat two weeks ago when he heard he had to do some research in Kenma and Kei's area for another mangaka's work. It was beating the same way when he saw that one of the museums referred to him was the new one Kei part-timed in before. It was resounding in his ears like when he found the nearest Airbnb was near Kenma's office and home, and—

It was rising up his throat like when he realized both blonds were in this unfamiliar church, early in the morning with Keiji on the same pew. Settling and reverberating in his stomach when he jogged with them, when he made them breakfast, when he draped blankets over them.

Similar, yet different. Because this time there was no voice counting down the days in his mind, reminding him of how transient this whole thing was, how he wasn't going to stay here while they were. Rather, the voice changed its words, its tone.

' _What if? What if? What if?'_

The Our Father ended and Keiji swallowed. Kei and Kenma pulled away after but stayed close. When the preist gave his cute to give peace, Keiji took a chance. _'What if?'_

He pulled down his mask and gave each blond a soft, chast kiss. Kei first on the cheek, and then Kenma on the forehead. They blinked at him in shock before Keiji coughed and met Kei's eyes. "Did _that_ make you uncomfortable?"

Kei blinked twice in surprise, before snorting and wrapping his arm tighter around him. "No," he said, the outdoor decor giving him a backlit glow Keiji couldn't and didn't want to look away from. "Kenma-san?"

"Fufu." Kenma laughed airily, pressing closer to Keiji and drawing his attention to him. Like Kei, he was backlit too—except his shine was from the church's harsh interior lighting. Keiji felt like this was a testament to the blonds: like his heartbeats, they were as similar as they were different. Two beings that were different from the world's normal and each other, but similar enough at their cores and their understanding of one another...and _beautiful_ all the same. "Not in the slightest."

Keiji let his shoulders sag in relief, and he relaxed into their touches. Kei held him steadily in his arm. "We should talk about this later. After the mass."

"We should," Kenma agreed.

Keiji wasn't able to quip in as the bell rang. They pulled away from each other and they moved to kneel. Keiji used that time to collect himself; the end of the mass was nearing, and he needed to be clear-headed for it...but before that—

It was day nine.

His last day to make his wish. His last chance for his heartbeat to flow to his fingertips pressed together in prayer; his last day to hope, to pray that maybe the Simbang Gabi superstition would be true for him just this once.

Because Keiji was an overthinker, and he needed all the reassurances he could get.

Keiji wasn't religious. He only did this out of tradition, respect, and because he was a man of habits, he didn't want to break this yearly one he had going for him. Keiji didn't believe in the church but he...he _believed_ in a god. A higher being. And maybe it was a belief rooted into him by his family and his surroundings, or maybe it was a faith founded on his anxiety and need to hold onto something, but—but he _believed_.

And he hoped, he prayed so hard that this being was real, and that this being would grant him this one wish.

* * *

Keiji carries his hopes and wishes to the altar where he receives communion, and he holds them in his hands when he kneels after it. He carries them all in his heart as the mass ended and applause and music rang through the church as the priest exited the venue.

The editor wears his heart on his sleeves when he takes their hands in his and drags them to the rice cake stands. "Are we going to talk now?" Kei asked. "You seem excited."

Keiji doesn't give them an answer. He buys them all rice cakes and watches as Kei gives Kenma his extra salted eggs. Keiji smiles. "How was your first experience with Simbang Gabi?"

Both blonds look on questioningly at him before looking at each other. Keiji thinks it must mean something for him to understand what their silent conversation might mean. Kenma replies, "It was nice, but I don't think I'd do it again."

Keiji and Kei snort at this. "Too early for you?" Keiji asked.

"Yeah. Fixed my sleeping schedule, true, but I think I get up early enough with Kei's exercising."

"True," Kei snickers. "My curiosity's sated. I don't think I'd do this again. Maybe we can try the evening version instead."

"Did you wish for anything?" Keiji smiles into his rice cake.

The blonds grin at him. "Yeah," Kenma says, "Kei and I wished for the same thing."

"We did," Kei nodded. "Did you?"

"Mhm." Keiji hums in agreement. He bites on his rice cake and opens his bag. Kei and Kenma chomp down on their own rice cakes and take their green and red tumblers respectively before Keiji gets his own and closes the bag.

For the longest time, Keiji carried his heart in secret. The only times he's ever let it out was when he bought two pairs of slippers and two mugs in a passing sale and let his hopes get the best of him. He tampered down the beat of his heart and hoped the world would drown it out. But the past few days saw him putting in bits and pieces of himself in their food, their teas, and the steps they take illuminated by the rising sun and the Christmas decorations around them.

Today, he wears his heart on his sleeve, and he presents it to them like normal: a cup of tea now, a rice cake, and later, through breakfast. This was nothing grand—this was long overdue.

"Do you wanna talk about our wishes later?"

Kenma smiles into his tea and blows bubbles noisily. Kei blows on his serving with a cheeky, knowing smile. "Over breakfast?"

Keiji takes a chance and, as the sun rises above them and illuminates the star lanterns around them, he presents his heart out in the open. "That, and over dinner," he chuckles. "Take you to dinner first, right?"

The rising sun wasn't seen from where they were, but its rays were coming up on the horizon and painting them all in yellows, pinks, and purples. The lanterns were being switched off now to make way for the natural light to wash over them, and the colors of the sky went through their see-through films. Hanging from the arch at the church entrance was the largest lantern of all, switched off, and looking every bit of a kaleidoscope as the colors filtered through it.

Kenma laughs. "Kei?"

"Yeah," Kei laughs with him. "Yeah, we'd like that a lot."

"Maybe even a sleepover too."

Keiji grins. "I guess I'll be using that house key earlier than I thought." And feeling braver, he adds, "Or maybe it's later than planned?"

"Nah," Kenma knees him gently, a knowing gleam in his eyes. Kei leans on Keiji's back and props his head atop his. Kenma looks at Kei's smile, Keiji's unwavering grin, and he chuckles, "You're just on time."

**Author's Note:**

> some hcs:  
> \- tsukkiken happened right after kei graduated college  
> \- kei is a pro volleyball player but off season he works in museums part time oe volunteers in them. he really likes it but shh  
> \- keiji fell out of constant touch after keis batchmates graduated college. keiji went to the graduation party organized by akiteru but that was it  
> \- none of them are social media people but kenma is active on socmed for his streams and businesses
> 
> 2020 was a wild ride but if there's smth to be grateful for, its getting back into writing for fun hehe im really happy to be writing again! here's to hoping for more bursts of inspiration and growing as a writer huehue
> 
> thanks for dropping by! i hope everyone has a nice Christmas ahead but do stay safe, practice good hygiene and social distancing!! ilyasm merry Christmas hope everyone has a better year this coming 2021 mwa think abt akatsukkiken dynamics <333!!
> 
> hmu on twt if u wanna scream w me @ sagikaashi uwu thanks again n happy holidays <33


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